Jennifer Lynn Barnes, author of the Raised by Wolves series, has a newly released book, The Naturals. This novel is the first installment in a new Young Adult series. Barnes has a penchant for writing in the paranormal genre, but The Naturals is borderline realistic crime fiction.

Cassandra Hobbes is a “Natural,” even if she doesn’t know it yet. When she was very young, her mother Lorelai claimed that she was a psychic, when really she just profiled people based on small details she could glean from their appearance and comportment. Lorelai taught her daughter the tricks to profiling people so that she could help with her mother’s act. It is this ability to read people that sets Cassie apart.

After Lorelai’s disappearance and presumed death, Cassie had to move in with her grandmother because her father was serving in the military oversees. Cassie has never felt like she fits in with her family, so when she is confronted by an FBI agent who asks her to move to Washington D.C. and join a special team of talented teens, she jumps at the opportunity. The eclectic group of gifted teens is brought together under one roof where they can hone their skills and help the FBI by working on cold cases.

The Naturals is equal parts Shadowlands by Kate Brian and the television series Criminal Minds, with interactions that are reminiscent of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. The crime, action and sometimes gruesome depictions of murder scenes will take the reader on a wild ride, while the character development and smattering of romance will help to ease the tension.